You must have been bothered about the health of your kids and want to bring some worthwhile changes in their routine then guys you have come to the right place. One of the major problems is the obesity in the children. Below are presented the points that will keep your dear ones not only strong and healthy but also free of obesity
• Don’t make your kids do any kind of dieting: children should not be forced to any type kind of diet or to follow exercise program because there have been several cases where such things cause more harm than good. Researches done in the field have suggested that kids who go on diets often end up weighing more than non-dieters, with low self-esteem , and also have a greater risk of succumbing to any of the eating disorders. So please understand this and do not force your child to diet , especially without consulting the family doctor and a reputed dietitian or nutritionist.
A healthy weight for your kid is much more than what numbers could say. It is about healthy demeanors, such as enjoying various dishes and activities for gaining strength, flexibility and aerobics .
Here are some simple and basic activities that adults can adapt to help children nurture positive attitude towards life and healthy habits . These strategies have been depicted to make the common people aware of what’s a healthy and what’s not.
• Be active and play together: children require sixty minutes of daily physical activity. Take out some time and play with your children every day. It will be fun for all of you. You can also check out the local community centre for children-friendly games. Another thing which you can do is to plan some fruitful family activities that involve every member, for instance, cycling, post-dinner walks, basketball or football at a nearby park.
• Spend some quality time together with friends and family : consuming more meals with near and dear ones can make an immense difference in your family’s health, happiness and finance. Dinners and lunches made at home cost less as compared to eating in expensive restaurants and is even easier to prepare or cook than you might imagine.
• Have a great breakfast: stop limiting yourself to cereal and milk and give your kids a healthy breakfast made of scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa wrapped in flour tortillas. Along with this, teach children to use a blender to make a variety of smoothiees which are greatly helpful in having healthy bodies according to the best breast implant surgeon in Mumbai and even teach them to make yummy easy and delicious yoghurt of different flavours. Add some toppings like granola, dried fruits and nuts.
• Stop using foods as tools to reward or punish your kids: if you will stop your child from a certain kind of food than it will only elevate his or her desire to haveInsteadstead of forbidding any dish to your children’s favourite dishes, decrease the size of its daily. Use non-food trophies to reward your children with like stickers or some kind of indoor game.
• Dining out is a big responsibility: even if you are out with your children at a restaurant or in a hotel. Always remember to eat food which nutritious and good for health. For this, you should check the menu card and look at every option available with a careful eye. You can choose to have a grilled chicken wrap, a bowl full of vegetable and fruit salad, some cottage vegetables or curd. If you are up for a take-out of home delivery, then always keep this in your mind you can add to the dish by serving a glass full of low fat milk or adding a dash of green salad.
• Enjoy a colourful plate of salad: the requirement of children is to have at least 1 ½ cups of fruits and two cups of vegetables a day. So with the main dish have a bowl full of juicy, crunchy, mouth-watering fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack. all kinds of produce contribute to great health. You can make the salad fun by serving frozen watermelon, vegetable kebabs or strawberry and cherry topped frozen yogurt. Some kids don’t like vegetables that have bitter or strong flavours. Hence, keep it basic by serving boiled broccoli or cauliflower. There is a wide variety of raw vegetables and dip choices in the market which should be carefully handpicked. Avoid over ripe stuff and select fresh ones. You can also have steamed green beans and zucchini. Serve them cold with small chunks of baby carrots, celery and cucumbers.
• Encourage thoughtful eating: don’t let your kids watch anything on the television or laptop while they concentrate on their food because they should pay complete attention to the food entering their mouth. Initiate a dialogue or two with them and ask questions like what it feels like to be starving, not so hungry, etc. make them understand the different cues or signals of the body. So they can stay fit and healthy.
• Limit the usage of sugar-sweetened beverages: remember that beverages like fruit punch, soft drinks and fruit drinks contain added sugars which are available in the market as substitutes to real fruit juices which could be very harmful for health. Cut the slices of fresh oranges and have them in a bowl of cold water for a refreshing drink.
• Don’t have television or video games in the bedroom: it is a well-observed fact that kids who get proper sleep are more likely to stay fit and fine, to have a healthy weight and perform amazingly in schools. It has been recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics that parents should completely avoid installing a television in the rooms of children because only through reduced screen time one can hope to inculcate healthy sleep habits in them.
Rashmi Adwani based in Mumbai, has been writing for various healthcare units. She has been writing various blogs for the past two years on various social platforms. Her articles are mostly about health awareness. Her interest in forming a strong perception around topics which need awareness is responsible beyond many exceptional articles. Right now she is working with Artius clinic ( http://www.artiuscosmo.com/ )to create awareness among masses about various health issues.